Kiryat Shmona Mayor Thanks Netanyahu Amid Shifting Relations

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern expressed significant gratitude to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, stating, "My dear Prime Minister, I want to say thank you very, very much." The meeting occurred following the inauguration ceremony of Tel Hai University in Kiryat Shmona. Stern's words are particularly noteworthy given his historically strained relationship with Netanyahu and senior Likud officials over the past two years. During this period, Stern accused the government of neglecting the city's needs, delaying budgets, and engaging in politically motivated actions against him.

The public conflict escalated in June 2024 when Netanyahu visited Kiryat Shmona, a city partially evacuated due to security concerns. Stern was not invited to this visit; instead, he was accompanied by his political rival, Eli Zafrani, the local Likud branch chairman and an associate of the Netanyahus. At the time, Stern criticized "cheap politics during wartime," and then-Interior Minister Moshe Arbel condemned the Prime Minister's office for excluding the mayor, calling it "disconnected and unprofessional."

Tensions persisted leading up to the early 2025 local elections, with the Likud party endorsing Zafrani for mayor, despite Stern being a party member and the incumbent. Stern felt targeted, referencing a "Diamonds" investigation by Raviv Drucker that suggested preferential treatment for mayors based on political loyalty. He cited an example of a road renovation plan for Kiryat Shmona whose budget was later canceled after a year, suggesting political motives. Further conflict arose in July 2024 during a Knesset committee discussion, where Likud MK Katy Sheetrit criticized Stern's city management and his claims of withheld government funds. Stern responded heatedly, accusing her of ignorance and shame.

Another incident occurred on election day when Transportation Minister Miri Regev toured the city with other Likud ministers and sarcastically commented on a broken streetlamp. In early 2026, Stern intensified his criticism, releasing a video accusing the Prime Minister's office of spreading disinformation against him and warning that the North's failures could not be hidden by spin, stating, "For the first time, a city in Israel is disappearing."

In March, Stern alerted officials to Kiryat Shmona's dire situation and lack of shelter in thousands of apartments, warning the city was disappearing. He rejected government claims of budget mismanagement, blaming the Finance Ministry for delays. A month later, his request to participate in a Knesset Finance Committee discussion on war-affected business compensation was denied, leading him to accuse committee chairman Hanoch Milvidsky of fearing his criticism. Stern asserted he was not a "puppet."

Against this backdrop of ongoing disputes, Stern's recent expression of thanks to Netanyahu signals a potential shift in their public dynamic. However, it remains unclear whether this gesture signifies a broader reconciliation or is a singular acknowledgment tied to the university inauguration event.